Fritz and Gloria’s trip to Alban, the capital of the Klein Kingdom, concluded without incident.
Gloria’s father, Boulton Allstatt, was home and gave his new son-in-law a grand welcome. He had seemingly intended to spend the entire night drinking, but since the couple had to head to Loizart the next day, they took their leave of Alban at 3:00 PM and returned to Avalon on a scheduled flight.
"I’m a little tired," Fritz admitted.
"Me too, De...ar," Elsa agreed.
The two decided to head to Avalon’s large bathhouse. While their new home had a bath, it wasn't quite large enough to stretch out in, and they were in the mood for a proper soak.
The following day, June 10th, they caught an early morning flight to Loizart.
While the time difference with Alban was only thirty minutes, Loizart was two hours behind. Traveling at a hundred kilometers per hour, the journey took roughly six hours. However, since Avalon lay further to the east, departing at 4:00 AM meant they touched down at 8:00 AM local time. Though the hour was early, the flight was considered manageable since passengers could nap on board.
They landed at the newly established airport on the outskirts of Loizart; as expected, landing at the airfield directly in front of the Royal Palace was prohibited for non-official craft.
"I’m glad the weather held up," Fritz remarked.
"Indeed," Gloria said.
The sky over Loizart was a brilliant, clear blue.
The couple boarded a communal carriage—essentially a shuttle bus—bound for the city center. They dismounted just before the Royal Palace and made their way toward Jin’s mansion, a route Fritz knew well.
They arrived at the mansion around 9:00 AM.
Peering through the gates into the garden, they saw Jin and Elsa playing with the twins. Jin had initially intended to greet them at the gate, but Laojun had advised against it, saying, "My Lord, wouldn't that be a bit too deliberate?" Thus, they had settled on this more natural scene.
Reiko, standing guard in place of a gatekeeper, signaled to Jin. "Father, Elsa-sama, Fritz-sama and Gloria-sama have arrived."
Jin and Elsa looked up immediately. Leading the twins by their hands, they hurried toward the gate.
"Welcome, Brother-in-law, Gloria-san," Jin said.
"Ani-sama, Gloria-san... I mean, Sister-in-law, welcome," Elsa added.
"It's been since the wedding," Fritz replied with a smile. "I appreciate everything you did for us then."
The couples exchanged pleasantries before Fritz broached the subject of his visit.
"To be honest, we were hoping to visit my family home, but we're quite pressed for time. I was wondering if you might be able to help us out, Jin-dono."
"I understand," Jin replied. "In that case, let’s head there in Konron 3."
Since it had been a while since Jin and Elsa had visited the Randol estate, Jin decided to take the twins along to pay their respects as well.
"I'm grateful you're willing to help on such short notice."
Because time was of the essence, they skipped the formal reception at the mansion and immediately boarded Konron 3, which was moored on the roof. As usual, Edgar took the pilot's seat.
"Departing now," Edgar announced.
Konron 3 rose weightlessly into the air. Increasing its speed and altitude, it soared over Lake Tosmo. They reached the town of Ekishi in less than ten minutes.
"Ah, there it is—my family home," Fritz noted.
Konron 3 landed silently in the front garden of the Randol Mansion. The "Circle with Two Horizontal Bars" family crest was unmistakable, and the House Randol servants recognized it immediately, running to inform the head of the house.
"Jin-sama and Elsa-sama have arrived!"
The current head, Moritz Randol, hurried out to meet them. His face broke into a wide grin when he realized his younger brother and his wife were also among the party.
"Jin-dono, Elsa, welcome. Yuu, Mio, it’s wonderful to see you. And Fritz, Gloria-san, welcome home."
The group was ushered inside.
"Oh, my! Gloria-san, Fritz, welcome! Yuu-chan, Mio-chan, I’m so glad you could make it! Jin-san, Elsa, welcome!"
In the entrance hall, they were greeted by Marlene—Fritz and Moritz’s mother, and the woman who had raised Elsa.
Once they were settled in the drawing room, Fritz explained that they were visiting as part of their honeymoon, but would have to leave by evening.
Elsa noticed Marlene’s face fall slightly at the news. She quickly added that she and Jin intended to stay for several days, which immediately brightened Marlene’s expression.
"Tell you what," Jin offered. "I'll take you two back to Avalon in Konron 3 instead of you taking the scheduled flight. It's twice as fast. If you want to be back by 9:00 PM, we can leave here around... 4:00 PM."
Between the three-hour flight and the two-hour time difference, departing five hours early would get them back exactly on time.
"Oh, Jin-dono, that would be a lifesaver," Fritz said.
"Thank you, Jin-dono," Gloria echoed.
They were both thrilled to have a few extra hours with their family.
While Fritz gave Gloria a tour of the house and its surroundings, Jin and Elsa were pulled aside by Moritz for a consultation. In the meantime, Yuu and Mio were left with Marlene.
"Yuu-chan, Mio-chan, let’s go have lunch with Grandma," Marlene chirped. She doted on the twins so much it was clear she considered them the light of her life.
"Where's Grandpa?" Yuu asked.
"Isn't Grandpa eating with us?" Mio added.
Prompted by the children, Georg joined them for lunch.
"Ho, ho... you've come, Yuu... Mio. You've... grown so much... in such a... short time."
These days, Georg was able to go about his daily life with only a slight hesitation in his speech. However, because he still tended to lose his footing, he was accompanied by the nursing automaton, Lara.
"Grandpa!"
"Grandma!"
"Yes, yes," Marlene laughed.
"Ho, ho," Georg beamed.
Both grandparents were completely powerless against the charms of their first grandchildren. The lady's maids watching the scene couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth.
Meanwhile, Jin and Elsa were listening to Moritz in his study over a light meal.
"Actually, I’ve received an inquiry from the new Emperor," Moritz began. "He's asked if I would be willing to serve at the Royal Palace."
Moritz possessed a fragile constitution but a brilliant mind. Jin and Elsa both suspected that the new administration was seeking capable administrators.
"If I accept, I would be promoted to the rank of Baron."
"That would be..." Elsa started.
The Randol family had once been a Viscount house, but after Georg was manipulated by a malicious demon, the title had been stripped. Elsa had eventually earned a baronetcy through her own achievements, which she then passed to Moritz.
In the Shouro Empire, a baronetcy was the lowest rank of nobility, alongside the non-hereditary knights, and carried no right to participate in national politics. A position at the Palace, however, required political participation, and thus necessitated the rank of Baron.
"The issue is that if I go to the Palace, I'll need a deputy to govern this land in my stead," Moritz explained. He noted that he couldn't leave the task to Georg, who wasn't yet fully recovered. "I reached out to Reinhardt as well, but since he’s taken a position at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he can't spare any personnel from his own estate."
Essentially, because the current House Randol lands were technically on loan from the main house—Reinhardt’s family—Moritz was acting as the primary administrator for the main house. Now, he needed someone to act as his own second-in-command.
In a normal situation, a wife might handle the duties, but Moritz was a widower.
"Hmm..."
Jin hummed thoughtfully. His own circle of acquaintances wasn't particularly large.
If an automaton would suffice, I could have one ready in no time, Jin thought, his mind already drifting toward technical solutions.